Lamp-wick trimmer



A. s. CHARLES." Lamp-Wick Trimmer.

No. 224,148. Patent ed Feb. 3,1880.

UNITED STATES PAT T OFFICE- ANDREW S. CHARLES, OF HORNELLSVILLE, NEWYORK.

" LAM P-WICK TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,148, dated February3, 1880.

Application filed October 31, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW S. CHARLES, ofHornellsville, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Wick Trimmers; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had tothe accompanyin gdrawing, forming a part of this specification, in which the figurerepresents a perspective view of my invention.

The invention has relation to wick-trimmers for lamps; and it consistsin the improvements in the construction of the same hereinafter fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, A is a blade, having a straight cutting-edge, c, andacurved handle, I). On the under side of the blade A, near itscutting-edge, is a straight guard or guide, 07. Upon the handle 12, andin line with the cutting-edge 0, is pivoted a flat blade, A, havingobtuse-angled cutting-edges 0 0?, the apex of theangle being at a, saidblade A being provided with a handle, I). The purpose of the obtuse-angled cutting-edges c c is to cause the blades A A to cut simultaneouslyfrom opposite edges of the lamp-wick and to finish the cut at the centerof the top edge of the wick when the device is operated to produce aneven out. The guard or guide d is to be rested upon a ledge of theburner to steady the device when operated and insure an even cut.

A device for trimming lamp-wicks has been used that cuts simultaneouslyfrom opposite edges; but after reaching a certain point from the edge ofthe wick the knife has a concave edge, which cannot make a shearing out,and which is objectionable for that reason, as it bends the wick overand leaves a ragged edge near the middle of the wick, which causes-theflame to smoke. By my angular cutting blade this defect is remedied, asa shearing cut, end

ing directly at the center of the wick, is made, and no jagged or raggededgeisleft. Consequently the flame, when the wick is thus trimmed, isfree from smoke, and burns evenly and brilliantly.

Having thus fully described my invention, what- I claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a lam p-wick trimmer, the combination of the straight blade A, havingthe downwardlyprojecting straight guard or guide d and the cutting-edgec, with the flat blade A, having the obtuse-angled cutting-edges 0 cterminating in the apex at, substantially as and for the purposes setforth. In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses. 1

ANDREW, s. CHARLES.

Witnesses:

I. W. NEAR, H. N. PLATT.

